Trump and Putin Agree in Call Lasting About 90 Minutes to Start Talks Immediately to End the Ukraine War
President Donald Trump spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin from the White House in Washington, D.C., on February 12, 2025, in a call that lasted about 90 minutes. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the same day that the conversation had lasted nearly an hour and a half. It was the first direct conversation between the presidents of the United States and Russia since the Russia-Ukraine war began in February 2022.
In a post on Truth Social that day, Trump called it a "lengthy and highly productive" call and said the two had discussed Ukraine, the Middle East, energy, artificial intelligence, the power of the dollar, and other subjects. He wrote that they had reflected on the two nations' history of fighting successfully together in World War II, remembering that Russia lost tens of millions of people and that the United States, likewise, lost so many.
Trump wrote that the two agreed to stop the deaths taking place in the war and to work together very closely, including visiting each other's nations. They agreed to have their respective teams start negotiations immediately; Trump said he would begin by calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to inform him of the conversation, and that he had asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to lead the negotiations. Trump also thanked Putin for his time and effort on the call and for the release, on February 11, of American teacher Marc Fogel.
The Kremlin's readout the same day gave the Russian account. It said the leaders had discussed the prisoner exchange between Russia and the United States, with the U.S. side assuring Russia that it would fulfill all the agreements reached. On Ukraine, it said Trump had spoken in favour of stopping the hostilities as soon as possible and solving the crisis peacefully, while Putin had pointed out the need to eliminate the root causes of the conflict and had agreed that a sustainable settlement could only be reached through peaceful negotiations. The readout said the two also discussed a Middle East settlement, Iran's nuclear programme, and bilateral economic relations; that Putin had invited Trump to visit Moscow and expressed willingness to receive visiting U.S. officials, including to discuss a Ukraine settlement; and that the two leaders had agreed to maintain personal contact, including in-person meetings.
After the Putin call, Trump called Zelenskyy, as his post had said he would. Zelenskyy's office said that conversation lasted about an hour. In a post on X, Zelenskyy said he had had a meaningful conversation with Trump about opportunities to achieve peace, the two sides' readiness to work together, and Ukraine's technological capabilities, including drones; he said Trump had shared details of his conversation with Putin.
Speaking to reporters at the White House the same day, Trump said he and Putin expected to meet in person and that their first meeting would probably take place in Saudi Arabia. He said he believed Putin wanted the war to end and that the United States would work to end it as fast as possible.
(Source: The White House)
Source: The White House
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：特朗普2025年官方肖像（Daniel Torok 摄，2025年1月发布，公共领域）；2025年2月12日通话当日无官方现场照片发布，本稿以官方肖像配图。 / Photo: Official 2025 portrait of President Donald Trump (by Daniel Torok, released January 2025, public domain); no official photo of the February 12, 2025 call was released, so the official portrait is used.
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